


The Fake Date

by Starbird



Series: A Very RebelCaptain Christmas [2]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Between Chapters, Christmas, Christmas AU, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Interlude, One Shot, POV Cassian Andor, Romantic Comedy, Unresolved Romantic Tension, fake date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 06:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12953193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbird/pseuds/Starbird
Summary: Cassian and Jyn have their fake date.





	The Fake Date

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little short story from my Christmas AU! Thank you again to everyone reading it!
> 
> Set in between chapters 2 and 3.

It was, Cassian thought, completely ridiculous that he felt a flicker of nervousness as he pulled up to the Erso household for his and Jyn’s “fake date” to Thai Palace that night. It wasn’t real. It shouldn’t matter. It didn’t matter if they got along, if he liked her but she didn’t like him and he wanted a second date but she didn’t and vice versa. It didn’t matter if he tried for a goodnight kiss and she rejected him, or she wanted the kiss but he didn’t. None of it mattered.

It wasn’t real.

So why was he nervous?

Cassian had been raised with impeccable manners, and he got Jyn from her house, opened the car door for her, complimented her, and started driving. She wasn’t rude at all. Mostly, she just stared out the window or at her fidgeting hands in her lap. She didn’t get on her phone. She didn’t affect a bored attitude. She didn’t do anything to indicate she was intentionally blowing him off or _trying_ to be rude.

In essence, she was perfectly decent company.

Once they were seated with menus at the restaurant, she perused hers with it flat on the table, unlike what she’d done that afternoon at The Cheesecake Factory. She ordered pad ped (medium-hot), and he got curry (hot).

He didn’t know she liked spicy food, and remarked on it.

“Yeah, I’ve always liked it,” she said. Cassian nodded, his eyes on her face, almost unable to look away. She’d dressed nicely – put effort into it – wearing a lovely dress, hair done, makeup flawless.

She looked…beautiful.

Jyn had always been pretty. That had never been in question. He’d always noticed it. They’d just grown up disliking each other, from the day he pulled her pigtails on the playground and she pushed him in the mud and they both cried, through elementary school, junior high, high school, and college. It was like they’d never grown out of their irritation for one another, never gotten to know one another outside of petty childhood teasing and fighting. They never spent any time around each other just one-on-one. They only knew the other through information circulated through their friend group or Facebook updates or stories from their parents, and then their brief interactions when the Ersos and Andors got together and there were too many people around for them to actually talk and work things out.

This was the first time they’d ever talked, just the two of them.

“I like Indian, too,” Jyn said. The waitress put down bowls of soup, then left. “You?”

“Yeah,” Cassian said, picking up his spoon. “Always.”

“Mexican, of course,” Jyn said with a smile. She dipped her spoon into the warm liquid and scooped it up. Cassian returned the smile.

“Of course. I can show you the good places around here.” He caught himself. “Point you in the right direction, rather. And tell you which ones to avoid.”

“El Gallo Guapo?”

Cassian arched a disappointed brow, playing into her teasing. “Please.”

Jyn laughed.

It was a nice sound.

“I mostly kept to myself in school,” Jyn said later as they started digging into their entrees. “This sorority asked me to join, and I thought about it, but I’m not really the sorority type.”

“Mm,” Cassian said. “I avoided Greek life, too.”

_“Really.”_

Cassian looked up at her tone. She had a dubious expression on her face.

“What’s that look for?” he said.

Jyn shrugged, blushed a little, and looked back down at her dish. “I just would’ve thought you’d be into the party life. Drinking, socializing…dating….”

There it was again. _No wonder you can’t keep a girl._

She wasn’t wrong. That was why it had hurt so much.

“I’m sorry,” she said before he could answer. “It’s not my business.”

“No, it’s fine.” He waved it off and stabbed at a piece of chicken. “I know what you think of me.”

Silence fell on the table, with each of them studiously avoiding the other’s gaze and finishing their meals.

“The party was lovely,” Jyn suddenly said in a rush. “Your mother always does such a nice job.”

Cassian met her gaze again. “Thank you.”

“And I’m…I’m glad Abuelita is here. I always liked her. Do you remember that time I spilled wine on my blouse and she insisted I wash it _right away_ and we were in the kitchen and she started taking it off and you walked in – ”

“I remember,” Cassian interrupted. Why did she have to bring up _that_ story? He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Jyn, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” He set his silverware down and picked up the check. “Let’s just go.”

Once outside, Jyn shivered and Cassian resisted the urge to pull her close. That’s what he would’ve done on a _real_ date, after all. They got in the car, and Jyn’s hand, he couldn’t help but notice, was resting on the center console.

He took a breath, and he took a chance.

Laying his hand gently atop hers, he said, “We can tell everyone this went great. Sound good?”

“I’ve had worse,” Jyn said, turning to him with a smile that…seemed genuine. Cassian sent her a quick smile back before returning his eyes to the road. “I had one guy use coupons on me.”

Cassian couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing, and his hand instinctively squeezed hers. “Oh, that’s _terrible_!” he said.

“Right? It was a BOGO, too.”

“I had a girl live-tweet our date once. Worst part was, I thought it was going well until she got up to use the restroom, and I checked my phone and saw all her tweets. ‘What a waste of time, but dinner is delicious and might get sex and might not suck???’ Three question marks. Then ‘IDK, been awhile, had worse, bored, he’s not bad looking.’”

Jyn doubled over laughing and gripped his hand back. “Oh, Cassian, that’s horrible. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.” She looked at him. “So did you…?”

“ _Fuck_ no!” he said with a disgusted face. “Not with that kind of enthusiasm. Jesus.”

Jyn tittered to herself for another few moments, and she continued smiling until they were at her house. She turned to him in the driveway.

“I had a good time,” she said. “Fake date or not.”

“So you weren’t bored?” Cassian said with his own smile. “Not a waste of time?”

“No. But dinner _was_ delicious.”

She did look damn beautiful, and her perfume was intoxicating. _Why did I bring up that tweet? Why did I talk about sex with her?_

He couldn’t look into those green eyes any longer. The inside of the car was too small.

Cassian abruptly broke his gaze away from her and unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’ll walk you to your door.”

Wordlessly, Jyn unbuckled as well, and he was already at her door and holding it open for her to get out. They walked up to the front door, and then stood there awkwardly.

“So, gift-wrapping party next,” Jyn said.

“Yeah,” Cassian answered. “Mom’s outdoing herself again this year, so, come hungry.”

“I’ll be sure to.” She gave a violent shudder. “Ugh, I hate the cold.”

He didn’t mean to do it. For the rest of his life, if anyone asked, he would swear up and down that he didn’t mean to do it. But he did. He reached out to her, grabbed her, and pulled her close, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

“Better?” he breathed as he remembered they’d set ground rules, and this _wasn’t supposed to be a date_ , and they didn’t even like each other besides. Couldn’t _stand_ each other, actually.

“Better,” Jyn replied, her head against his chest. Then she leaned away and looked up at him. Her breath came out in a tiny puff from between her parted lips. “I thought no touching more than we had to.”

Cassian smiled. “You never said no hugging.”

“I did say no kissing.”

“I wasn’t going to kiss you.”

For a moment she continued to stare at him, lips still parted, a hint of rosy lipstick upon them. “I should get inside,” she said. “It’s freezing.”

“Yeah.” His hands were still on her arms. He should drop them.

He did.

“I’ll see you at the next party,” he said. “I’ll get you the details soon.”

“Sure. Sounds good.”

Even after she was inside and had waved goodbye to him, Cassian stood on her stoop and stared at her door a moment longer, confused, unsure, and wondering just what, exactly, Abuelita had gotten him into.

**Author's Note:**

> The next work, ["O Night Divine,"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12980922) comes after this and before chapter 3. :)


End file.
